BETHESDA, Md. -- From her perch as head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Nora Volkow watches anxiously as the country embarks on what she sees as a risky social experiment in legalizing marijuana.

Funeral services to celebrate the life of James McCrea "Jim" Thornton, Jr., 90, of Camden, SC, will be held at 2:00 PM Friday, June 27, 2014 at First Baptist Church with burial to follow in Quaker Cemetery with military rites. Rev. Ray Deese will officiate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service beginning at 1:00PM in the Church Fellowship Center. Memorials may be made in Mr. Thornton's memory to First Baptist Church, Bus Ministry, 1201 Broad Street, Camden, SC 29020.

Mr. Tommie Lee Johnson Jr. 51, of 125 Prospect Street, East Orange, New Jersey passed on Saturday, June 21, 2014. Family will receive friends at 5850 Halley Road, Rembert, SC, the home of his brother Mr. Kevin Johnson. Services will be conducted on Saturday, June 28,2014 at 2 p.m. at Haile's Funeral Home Chapel, Camden SC. The burial will be in Orange, N.J.

Former Lugoff-Elgin standout and current Southern Wesleyan University golfer Bobby Few punched his ticket into the Carolinas Amateur Golf Championship tournament by finishing third in a sectional qualifier played in Summerville last week.

WASHINGTON -- Some politicians know they want to be in public office and scramble to come up with the reason why. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is an accidental, improbable politician -- a self-described "outsider" -- who knows exactly what she wants to accomplish on the inside.

I arrived at my place of work at 4:10 a.m., June 16. Before opening my door and deactivating the security alarm, I read the Chronicle-Independent headline still in the paper rack: Thomley sues Matthews! What a way to start the week. What a sore loser! Is this a joke? Must be! Maybe this is Saturday Night Live.